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I suck at birthday stuff -- could use assistance for gifts/NYC restaurant ideas!

VertexSquared

By VertexSquared
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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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My girlfriend's birthday is coming up this weekend. Last year, we weren't dating at this time (we met/started going out last March/April), so this is the first time I'm experiencing her birthday.

 

Unfortunately, I suck at gifts/planning. For my own birthday she had taken me to see a funny play, eat at a great restaurant, and she made me a dessert that night and breakfast the next morning :o

 

Me, on the other hand -- I am bad at planning and I can't cook well enough to make her anything on my own without it causing necrosis. However, I'd like to at least give her a day equally as good, if not better.

 

Ideas would be welcome!

january2011 Established Member

january2011

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What kind of things does she like/enjoy doing? What makes her happy? What puts a smile on her face?

 

In the past, what have you done that has elicited a positive response from her?

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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She's a huge foodie -- loves to spend time either exploring the city or cooking. Also into artsy things (paintings/sculptures/performances/plays).

 

Except we've already seen quite a few of the art exhibits in the city and we already spend a fair bit of time exploring the city... but I figure I can at least try to land a decent restaurant. But outside of that I am blank.

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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Nothing like a dinner party with family and friends then. Get a good reservation in Angelo of Mulberry St. http://www.angelosofmulberryst.com/ and then order a customized cake from http://www.confetticakes.com/. Make sure to place your present inside or on the cake to surprise her. End the night with handing out indiviually customized cupcakes to your guests, but also save you and your girlfriend a few treats from Confetti for dessert.

 

I'm assuming you live with your girlfriend? If that's the case when you guys get home, make sure you have a good bottle of chilled Pinot Noir waiting and then... well sex, sex, sex ( with dessert).

 

http://www.yelp.com/biz/angelo-of-mulberry-st-restaurant-new-york

 

Here are some outstanding reviews for the restaurant. The reason I suggest Italian is because Italian is usually associated with family gatherings. IF you're going to do a dinner party with friends and families, you're going to need a large table with good food that you can share.

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SmileFace Established Member

SmileFace

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How about spending the whole day with her and planning meals at different restaurants. Breakfast at one place - go for a walk- lunch somewhere else ... you get the idea. I know some great places in the city. I will come back and post more ideas.

 

Is she more gourmet or a dive type of girl?

january2011 Established Member

january2011

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A couple's cooking class with a famous chef or at a famous restaurant?

 

An city food tour that includes stopping off at various locations and sampling the wares? You could probably set this up yourself with starter, main and dessert in different locations.

 

A roof-top night-time picnic/candlelit dinner in front of a great view with live music and a selection of various foodstuffs from around the world?

 

Or if it's too cold, how about a (naked) blind-folded picnic indoors where you feed her the food and also use it to seduce her, similar to the film 9 1/2 weeks?

 

If money and travel is no issue, how about flying her somewhere special for dinner?

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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There's also a place in Midtown that I was invited to once, called The Russian Tea Room. It's one of those dress code places, with three meal courses, dimmed lights, quaint music,etc . If you just want some alone time with your girlfriend, I would definitely suggest this place. Here's the website. http://www.russiantearoomnyc.com/subindex.php?p=home

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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Oh, if you decide on going with a full- day of food-gasm, I also suggest Alice's Tea Cup for brunch. My girlfriend raved about that place with their cupcakes and tea ( of course, I've never been) but they do have a decent website that suggests they're pretty popular for high tea and lunch. I also heard you need to make reservations because getting a table can take up to an hour or more. http://www.alicesteacup.com/

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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Thanks for the suggestions but we've (un?)fortunately been to all those places thus far. :o I really enjoyed Alice's Tea Cup, lol

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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Thanks for the suggestions but we've (un?)fortunately been to all those places thus far. :o I really enjoyed Alice's Tea Cup, lol

 

Oh shoot, you guys out foodied me then!:confused::o

mo mo Established Member

mo mo

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Oh, if you decide on going with a full- day of food-gasm, I also suggest Alice's Tea Cup for brunch. My girlfriend raved about that place with their cupcakes and tea ( of course, I've never been) but they do have a decent website that suggests they're pretty popular for high tea and lunch. I also heard you need to make reservations because getting a table can take up to an hour or more. http://www.alicesteacup.com/

 

you seem to know all the cool spots

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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Okay I got a few new ones-

 

West Village, The Spotted Pig

 

Columbus Circle, A Voce

 

Columbus Circle, Masa

 

One if Land, Two if by Sea

 

 

 

Lex. Ave, Lychee House

 

Lafayette St, Chinatown Brasserie

 

The last two serves late-night dim sum. Yum.

Kamille Established Member

Kamille

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Must remember this thread for the next time I visit New York.

 

I'm a foodie and would suggest a nice "food basket" as a gift. You could pick a theme, say mediterranean, and choose good olive oil, tapenade, aged balsamic vinegar, a few good cheeses, chocolate, salt (yes, I'm a salt snob!), good wine, potentially her favorite cooking magazine, a cook book, etc. etc. etc. Then you could proceed to have an indoor picnic with the perishable elements in the basket.

 

Ps: and obviously I mean get the fancy olive oil and balsamic vinegar, the kind she wouldn't buy for herself.

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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I had trouble finding reservations for those places at the desired time/date -- Masa would have been amazing.

 

I went with the Four Seasons (Pool Room seating) -- good choice?

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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I had trouble finding reservations for those places at the desired time/date -- Masa would have been amazing.

 

I went with the Four Seasons (Pool Room seating) -- good choice?

 

 

Well, my mom used to work for Four Seasons so I might be a little baised. Currently my mom is employed at the Taj Pierre. You can check that out and see.

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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Biased in a good or bad way? :p

pandagirl Established Member

pandagirl

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Masa is one the most expensive restaurants in the world! Are you that loaded?? haha.

 

Some of my suggestions:

 

Peasant

Matsugen

Freemans

Crema

Gramercy Tavern

The Breslin

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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Masa is one the most expensive restaurants in the world! Are you that loaded?? haha.

 

Some of my suggestions:

 

Peasant

Matsugen

Freemans

Crema

Gramercy Tavern

The Breslin

 

Ha! Money is no object if you're celebrating birthdays... I should know... :p

xpaperxcutx Established Member

xpaperxcutx

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Biased in a good or bad way? :p

 

Well the Pierre used to be part of Four Seasons before The Taj bought it, so biased in the fact that my mom used to work there. LOL

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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I'm not LOADED (I'm still pretty young) but I work in finance and so I make enough such that I don't care about splurging a little for her birthday. :p She certainly splurged on me back when my birthday was up, haha!

 

Out of that list I've only been to Peasant and Gramercy Tavern -- which of the others is best, in your opinion?

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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Well the Pierre used to be part of Four Seasons before The Taj bought it, so biased in the fact that my mom used to work there. LOL

 

Sorry -- I mean what do you think of the food/experience there? Good choice?

pandagirl Established Member

pandagirl

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Depends on what kind of atmosphere and food you want.

 

Freeman's is super fun if you've never been there. It's tucked way back at the of an alley. I love it there.

 

The Breslin is fun if you want a scene, since it's in the Ace Hotel, and there's bound to be a bunch of good people watching.

 

Food at both places is yum!

pandagirl Established Member

pandagirl

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Just FYI. Masa is $400+ per person! :)

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VertexSquared Established Member

VertexSquared

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Holllyyy moly -- at least the food looked amazing. Yeah $400 per person is a bit out of my comfort zone right now (if I didn't have student loans I'd be all up on that) -- mainly because we are planning to go to San Francisco and check out French Laundry at some point in the near future. That's going to be our hypersplurge meal of the year. Not sure I can handle too many of those just yet, haha.

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